Wind Rises over Black Stone

In the southwestern hinterland of the Black Stone Mountain Range, the name "Ghost Cry Rift" is absolutely fitting.

In just two days, this remote rift valley has been completely transformed.

Three greyish-white tents, embroidered with pale gold cloud patterns, were pitched on the riverbank at the valley entrance. Seven or eight Soul Master dressed in tight-fitting clothes walked back and forth, their eyes gleaming. On the central flagpole, a dark blue flag with cloud and mist patterns rolled across its surface— the Cloud Mist Sect.

Two hundred paces away, two dark red tents stood at the foot of the cliff, with a wooden sign next to them hastily written "Temporary Exploration Point of the Star Luo Empire Inspection Office". Deacon Han stood with his hands behind his back, squinting at the opposite side.

Further out, shadowy figures loomed behind piles of rocks and bushes. The rogue cultivators crouched, wary of each other. The largest group, consisting of five or six men, was led by a scarred, burly man chewing on grass roots, his eyes darting between the two campsites.

The wind howled as it swept out from the rift valley.

A Soul Ancestor from the Cloud Mist Sect led two people to ten steps in front of the Inspection Office sign, clasped his hands in greeting, and said, "Deacon Han, we discovered this place first. Your presence here, by setting up a checkpoint, isn't that overstepping your bounds?"

Deacon Han turned around, a bureaucratic smile plastered on his face. "Overstepping boundaries? Imperial law dictates that the Unclaimed Ruins Inspection Office has priority in surveying these sites to prevent damage and loss. We are acting in accordance with the law."

Soul Ancestor's face darkened. "Let's not beat around the bush, it's just baseless rumors."

"Rumors?" Deacon Han raised an eyebrow. "Based on hearsay, why would your sect send Soul King to lead the team, and even have Elder Wang personally oversee things?" He glanced at the large tent in the middle. "This 'rumor' is quite something."

The Soul Ancestor was speechless, his eyes growing even colder. "Sect affairs cannot be disclosed. However, this area has been designated a restricted zone. Please have the Inspection Office withdraw to avoid any misunderstandings."

"Evacuation is not an option." Deacon Han's smile faded. "However, Elder Wang's personal presence demonstrates the importance he places on this. The exploration can proceed simultaneously, but we must take the lead, with your sect's personnel under our command—at least until the initial assessment is complete. What do you say?"

Soul Ancestor's face turned as black as the bottom of a pot. Accepting orders? That would be tantamount to surrendering the initiative.

"I need to inform Elder Wang." He said this and turned to leave.

Deacon Han watched his retreating figure, his fake smile vanishing. He turned to his subordinate and whispered, "Keep a close watch on the valley entrance and the cliff face. Report immediately any unusual fluctuations in Soul Power, or if anyone attempts to enter the rift alone."

"Yes."

Three miles northwest of the rift valley, on the shady side of the mountain ridge.

A few weathered rocks formed a crevice, completely covered by vines and leaves. Lu Yuan squatted down, his eyes pressed against the end of a brass cylindrical object—a "telescope" hastily made by Mo Chen, rough but functional.

Within sight, the campsite, figures, and subtle movements were all clearly visible.

Shen Moxin sat cross-legged behind him, closed her eyes, and pressed her hands lightly against the ground. Her Soul Power spread out gently like ripples, sensing the mixed and turbulent aura in the distance.

Su Yan stood guard at the entrance, like a stone.

Mo Chen squatted on the other side, fiddling with several small compass-like Soul Tool, their pointers trembling slightly. He licked his lips, his eyes shining.

"The Cloud Mist Sect has eight permanent guards: four Soul Elder, three Soul Ancestor, and one Soul King who hasn't come out of the middle tent yet," Lu Yuan said in a low voice, his eyes never leaving his glasses. "The Inspection Office team is small in number, but highly skilled, with an average of high-level Soul Elder."

Shen Moxin's eyelashes trembled. "The chaos of Soul Power within the rift valley is intensifying. At least three different Soul Power are clashing—one is blazing and domineering, belonging to the Soul King of the Cloud Mist Sect; one is dense and orderly, belonging to the patrol method; and the other is cold and slippery, wandering at the edge, possibly belonging to a rogue cultivator."

"It's chaotic." Mo Chen grinned. "Everyone's trying to get the first move. Have the nodes we planted reacted?"

Lu Yuan slightly adjusted the telescope, looking at a depression in the middle of the western cliff face. "Nothing for now. The Soul Power is too mixed; it can only be activated directly using a specific frequency or sufficient intensity."

He paused, then shifted the scope towards the rear of the Cloud Mist Sect's camp. "The main force is tied up here. The force left to guard the stronghold is at most one Soul Ancestor with a few Soul Elder."

The opportunity has arrived, but we still need to wait for the right moment.

Shen Moxin suddenly opened her eyes, her gaze behind her glasses filled with worry. "Deacon Han was so assertive during the negotiations just now... Did he secretly verify the 'anonymous clue' we leaked? He might even have sent someone to spy on the Rift Valley?"

Lu Yuan paused for two seconds. "Possibly. The clues are half true and half false, but the area of abnormal Soul Power they point to is real. As long as he detects unnatural residual fluctuations, he'll believe the 'ruins' are possible. This makes him more proactive and more greedy."

"Greed is a good thing," Mo Chen interjected. "The more he wants a share, the more he'll target the Cloud Mist Sect. The longer the stalemate lasts, the more advantageous it is for us."

As they were talking, Lu Yuan saw through the telescope that a commotion had broken out behind the pile of rocks where the rogue cultivators were.

Among the group of scarred, burly men, a skinny man tried to slip towards the other entrance of the rift valley, but was stopped by another group of rogue cultivators. The two sides shoved each other, and a small patch of Soul Power exploded, immediately attracting the sharp gazes of the guards on both sides.

Scarface cursed, pulled the skinny man back, and glared at the opposing leader. The other man glared back defiantly.

A minor skirmish; the smell of gunpowder is already wafting through the air.

Lu Yuan tapped his fingers lightly on his knee. The situation was moving as expected, even more "lively." With multiple checks and balances in place, no one dared to break the equilibrium first.

There's now room to fish in troubled waters.

Just as he was about to move the lens away, he caught a glimpse of the top of the almost vertical cliff on the east side of the rift valley out of the corner of his eye.

Several blurry figures appeared without warning at the edge of the cliff.

It's like it's seeping directly from the shadow of the rocks.

Lu Yuan paused, holding his breath for a moment. He quickly adjusted the lens, focusing the lens to its maximum.

They were completely covered by greyish-black cloaks, their faces hidden in the deep shadows of the hoods. Five, perhaps six. They stood silently, as if they had become one with the greyish-brown rock face.

The fluctuations in Soul Power were obscure, as if seen through a constantly distorting thick fog, making it impossible to grasp their specific intensity and attributes.

Shen Moxin also turned her head sharply, her face slightly pale. "Someone... is very strong, and their Soul Power is of a strange nature. When did they appear?"

The pointer on the soul compass in Mo Chen's hand spun wildly, and he cursed under his breath as he tried to steady it.

Below the rift, the opposing parties seemed to have also noticed the unusual situation.

The curtain of the large tent in the center of the Cloud Mist Sect was lifted, and a tall, elderly man in purple robes stepped out. His face was cold and stern, and his gaze was like lightning, instantly shooting towards the top of the cliff. The Soul King's aura was no longer concealed, spreading out like an invisible wave.

Deacon Han also looked up sharply, his hand on the hilt of his knife.

The independent cultivators stirred and retreated, looking at the suddenly appearing third party with surprise and suspicion.

On the cliff, the gray-clad leader paid no attention to the reaction below. He slightly raised his right hand, revealing a pale finger peeking out from his sleeve, and gently tapped the western cliff face of the rift—the location where Mo Chen had buried the key disguise rune node.

A dark, almost black beam of light shot out silently and struck the rock wall precisely.

There was no loud noise, no explosion.

On the rock face, the twisted patterns that Mo Chen had meticulously carved and aged to resemble ancient erosion marks suddenly lit up!

A deep, dark blue, like the faint light reflecting off the bottom of deep water. The patterns, like living veins, meandered and lit up along the rock face, forming complex and eerie designs. Then, a peculiar, ancient, and weathered Soul Power resonated and rippled outwards from the center of the patterns!

The fluctuations are not strong, but their characteristics are extremely unique. They match the features described in the forged "energy fluctuation spectrum" with a degree of 80%!

Inside and outside the rift valley, deathly silence fell instantly.

All eyes— the Cloud Mist Sect Soul King's sharp scrutiny, Deacon Han's astonished gaze, and the loose cultivators' greedy yet fearful probing—were fixed on the group of gray-clad men.

In a crevice in the mountain ridge, Lu Yuan slowly lowered the "telescope".

His pupils contracted slightly as he stared at the silent gray shadow on the cliff face.

Shen Moxin covered her mouth, her voice trembling as it escaped through her fingers. "They... activated it? How is that possible...? That node requires a specific combination of frequencies, and we didn't leave any activation method..."

Mo Chen was dumbfounded, his mouth agape as he managed to utter a few words: "What the hell... They recognize it? Not only do they recognize it, but they can even use it?"

Lu Yuan didn't speak. His fingers unconsciously tightened, his knuckles turning white.

Unexpected variables were introduced into the plan.

This group of mysterious Observers, who call themselves "Shadow Guards," were not only attracted by the "Key."

They seemed to really recognize the lock.

In fact, it knows better than the forger how to open it.

On the cliff, the gray-clad leader withdrew his hand. The eerie blue runes gradually dimmed, returning to the ordinary rock patterns. But the shock and silent declaration he had created had already sliced through the tense air above the ravine like a cold blade.

The weaver behind the scenes suddenly discovered that a group of "actors" who seemed equally familiar with the script had silently appeared on stage.